STI Adds 0.51% in Broad Advance; Jardine Names, SIA Lead
The Straits Times Index closed 0.51% higher at 5,526.72 on Tuesday, adding 27.77 points and recovering Monday's dip to sit about 0.6% below last week's record close of 5,561.42. The advance was broad, led by the Jardine group, Singapore Airlines, property developers and Yangzijiang. Notably, the banks and Singapore Exchange — the drivers of the recent record run — lagged.
There was no single catalyst. Overnight leads were mixed, and buying instead broadened into cyclical and property-linked names — JPMorgan recently flagged a "profit upcycle" for real estate — alongside positioning ahead of the local earnings season. The large-cap financials and the exchange operator that had powered the index to its recent highs paused: the three banks were little changed and SGX fell.
Session Movers
Jardine Matheson (J36.SG, +4.35%) was the top index gainer, part of a broad advance across the Jardine group and property-linked counters. It trades at 0.64 times book value; the analyst consensus is Strong Buy with an average target of S$86.07, well above the S$65.46 close.
Singapore Airlines (C6L.SG, +2.77%) rose ahead of its 24 July AGM. Management has reiterated it remains open to further Air India funding despite booking a S$945 million share of associate losses. SIA trades at about 20 times earnings; the consensus rating is Hold, with a S$6.96 target that sits some 11% below the S$7.79 close.
Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (BS6.SG, +3.04%) extended gains after Intercont Ship Services signed a US$66 million bulk-carrier order with a Yangzijiang unit, adding to the order book ahead of first-half results.
Hongkong Land (H78.SG, +2.25%) rebounded after sitting at the foot of the index on Monday, tracking the broader property recovery. It trades at 0.52 times book value with a distribution yield near 3%.
One point worth noting
Leadership rotated. For two sessions the STI's gains had leaned on a narrow set of richly valued heavyweights — the banks and SGX. On Tuesday the advance broadened instead: Hongkong Land, Monday's weakest index stock, rose 2.25%, while the three banks were little changed (DBS and UOB each +0.14%, OCBC −0.17%) and SGX fell 0.76% even as it announced an expansion of its single-stock depositary receipts, adding Grab, Sea and SpaceX from 22 July. For once, the gains were led by the market's cheaper, previously lagging corners rather than its priciest.
This recap is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.